SALISBURY — Salisbury High School’s girls basketball team got the star treatment on Saturday.

Team members were loaded onto F&M Bank trolleys and paraded down Main Street past a cheering crowd to Bell Tower Green. The team won the 2A state championship on March 12. In 2021, the school celebrated its state champion football team and swimmers the same way. State wrestling champ Jaden Gaither and track champ Marcus Cook were recognized Saturday as well.

Salisbury High Principal Marvin Moore said it is important to celebrate students for their success.

“I think it’s important that our kids get to know we appreciate what they do through our words and also our actions,” Moore said. “We should always celebrate.”

The parade stopped at Bell Tower Green so the team could be recognized on the park’s amphitheater stage.

County Board of Commissioners Chair Greg Edds said it was an honor to speak and the school seems to be making a habit of winning state championships, calling back to the recognition of the 2021 events when he also spoke.

“You guys don’t know what a blessing it is to represent all the schools in the county as a county commissioner, to know that when our teams leave the bounds of this county that they are going to represent you and us well,” Edds said.

Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education Vice Chair Alisha Byrd-Clark said she congratulated the team and did so on behalf of Superintendent Tony Watlington, who could not attend. She recognized the parents, too.

“This is a win for you as well,” Byrd-Clark said.

Head coach Lakia Brice recognized each of her players and coaching staff members by name.

“I have the best coaching staff in the state of North Carolina,” Brice said.

She told the crowd the parents are special as well because they cheered on every member of the team as if they were their own students.

Moore recognized the academic success of the team as well, noting there are four National Honor Society members among them.

Junior Kyla Bryant said revisiting the victory was exciting.

“We put in so much work to get to this point and I don’t think a lot of people see how long we’ve been going at it,” Bryant said.

Bryant said another championship would be the next goal for her basketball career but the team will be down a couple of great players.

“A lot of different things will have to click for us,” she said.

Senior Rachel McCullough said anytime someone mentions the win when she is in public it feels great, and that happens a lot.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget about it,” McCullough said. “Two years from now, a month from now, I think it’ll still be a great feeling to have.”